Finger amputation

[Kfbeal]

I thought I'd share this incident I went through a few years ago. I had a housing go bad on my lawnmower so I planned to replace it. I removed the deck from the lawnmower and replacing the housing. On my mower, I had a rope from the hydrostatic control down to the deck flapper so I could easily pick it up should it ball up. I took that rope off of the deck side when I removed the deck.

I put the deck back on and then backed out of the garage. About that time I noticed the rope hanging and went to grab it while I was backing up. As I grabbed it, the rope went under the right rear tire. The rope ended up sucking my middle right finger onto the edge of the fender literally wrapped it around the sharp edge. Before I knew it, the tire put it in a bind and continued to pull tighter. I pulled my hand to move lever into neutral and realized what had happened. It took my finger off just above the last knuckle. I was by myself at the time, wife was walking at the track and I couldn't reach her so I called my mother to call her and let her know I cut my finger off and was driving to the ER. I couldn't find the tip, SIL found it later. They said it wasn't enough to re-attach, so now I'm stumpy. Never thought about OnStar, but we're 10 miles out so it was faster to drive in. Went to ER Thursday night, saw bone & joint doctor on Friday and he scheduled surgery for Monday.

It was a lesson learned that not everyone who loses limbs to lawnmowers were lost due to the blades. I've dislocated fingers, etc but this was the worst pain I had felt in my life. I didn't sleep for 2 nights and ended gloing to ER for pain medicine, Tylenol 4 or whatever the strong stuff was. I couldn't bare the pain. Call me a sissy. The doctor said it is probably the worst type of pain due to all of the nerve endings in your fingers. It took me a while to realize that until I thought about how sensitive your finger tips are.

If the pic is too graphic, please remove or let me know to remove.

 

[BigD23]

Sad story and thanks for sharing...Safety is So important in our daily lives...As told, all it takes is a second.

Don

 

[DWCox]

Wow. Are those stitches in the first photo? They appear to be numerous and in various directions.

I don't know if you lost enough for this phenomenon, but some people continue to feel the presence, sensation, and sometimes even pain in limbs or appendages which are no longer present (viz., phantom pain).

 

[Philscbx]

Highly unfortunate, but exactly as my Father had done to the same digit on a combine belt sheave in the fifties.

He also became famous with that digit all our lives.

If it wasn't comic, it was painful when he tapped your breast bone like a jackhammer. Basically a cordless nailgun.

Friends that met this weapon 30/40 years ago will in the middle of conversation recall the pain.

 

[Ductape]

Welcome to the club !

 

[Mike_Kanzer]

Wow - kind of a freak accident. Not really sure you did anything "unsafe". Glad it looks like it healed up nicely. Does it bother you any now?

 

[JB4310]

Highly unfortunate, but exactly as my Father had done to the same digit on a combine belt sheave in the fifties.

He also became famous with that digit all our lives.

If it wasn't comic, it was painful when he tapped your breast bone like a jackhammer. Basically a cordless nailgun.

Friends that met this weapon 30/40 years ago will in the middle of conversation recall the pain.

Yup, LOL, I worked for an old timer that would get you right on the top of the head with his, I forget which digit but wont forget the feeling on my skull, nor will any of his 6 boys, who I'm sure got it alot more than I did.

Sorry to hear about the OP's incident, My brother lost 2 fingers to a Makita circular saw, they reattached them but their not much use.

 

[Kfbeal]

Yes, they are stitches. The doctor made a Y incision in order to close it back up. The tip now looks like he has a circle on it if looking at the palm. He also pulled all the nerve ending to the tip so I would have feeling. He did a real great job as far as that goes. I still have feelings, but it hurts like he!! when I bump it at times. I was using a ratchet one day to tighten a bolt, slipped and this finger slammed into metal. It hurt about 20 times worse than the other fingers.

I took several weeks of physical therapy and have full motion and almost full closure. I tend to drop the small nuts and washers that I normally wouldn't have just because I don't squeeze tight enough now although my fist does close all the way.

I feel like an idiot because I normally start the story off with I cut my finger off working on a lawnmower and everyone expects it to be the blades.

The strange part is that it barely bled. It didn't volcano out like on the movies, which I'm thankful for being by myself. I did forget to mention I about passed out twice though. I was freaking out a little when I saw the outcome right after the accident.

 

[Ductape]

I did forget to mention I about passed out twice though. I was freaking out a little when I saw the outcome right after the accident.

Awwww, c'mon now! You keep talking like that and i'm gonna think you're a nancy-boy!

 

[ray66v]

I too lost the end of my finger, (technically you lost a "digit", you still have your finger), at work, about 30 years ago.

It took many years for the nerves to grow back to the tip. Prior to that, it felt very strange. If I ran my thumb down it, the nerves just ended, even though the finger continued on for another 1/2".

The finger was very sensitive for at least 10 years, just bumping it in to something, caused quite a painful jolt.

It feels like the others now, with the exception that tightness makes it not want to straighten all the way out, without a lot of effort.

It serves as a constant reminder to be more careful.